Starry starry night
by orlha
Summary: The search for peace and paradise under likely circumstances. Each hero pursuing paradise for their own reasons. Perhaps they will find their path to follow
1. prologue

Starry Night

The fallen buildings were all around them. The charred remains of a fire in the middle of the courtyard. Merck re-casted his bone armour, quickly scanning around. In the corner of his eye, he noted that only 2 of his skeleton mages were still around. His bone armour was quickly being destroyed by the mob of fallens. He gripped his alternate weapon, a beautiful long sword attempting to slash his way through.

"Someone get the bloody shaman!" he yelled exasperatedly.

"Not me!" Karin shouted, he spun his sword slashing another of the Night Clans. He crazily dodged their attacks summoning his wolves once more.

Zerith roared managing to momentarily scare the Skeleton mages away. Somehow the mages enjoyed attacking him. He leapt into the fray and ended up right in the centre six shamans. He let out a bloodcurdling scream as he realised he was in a very bad position. The shamans grinned evilly and casted endless fireball at him. He threw his axe at one hearing the delightful snap as the axe made contact into the skull. The shamans cackled, pacing around him as they noted in approval of a worthy opponent. However to Zerith's dismay, the other shaman simply revived and it rose to as good as new.

/Damn, they must be killed during the same time frame-/

As he was torn between leaping away or enduring the endless batter of fireballs again, an arrow shot straight into the shaman beside him. "Hurry up and kill the other one!" the lady yelled somewhere behind him. She deftly drew her bow and with dead accuracy scored a hit through another shaman's eye. He swung his axes mindlessly slashing hacking at the three shamans. She ducked, the poison attack barely missing her. Pulling another arrow she shot the last shaman before turning to the two mages that Zerith had abandoned. Her brown hair cackled with energy as she pulled the bow again.

"Look out!" Karin yelled. He pushed her away just in time as the poleaxe fell onto where she had been standing. Zerith and Merck now were preoccupied with Griswold. The lady and Karin stood breathlessly back-to-back eyeing the situation in front of them.

"Thanks!" She pulled her bow trying to get a clear aim for the infuriating mages but there was no clear shot. She relaxed, replacing the bow over her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You got a sword? I was afraid I had to fight with daggers," she laughed foolishly at her assumption. He passed her his sword. He glowed temporarily, fur sprouting over his skin. He grinned, his long teeth showing.

"Let's start the party." She laughed at his words and began to batter the Night Clans with her sword. Her arm hurt terribly. Pausing, she took a breather hoping to be able to rejoin Karin properly again. But as she did, the skeleton mages decide to start shooting their poison and cold attacks again. It wasn't a nice situation though she knew she could easily wipe their smirking faces off the face of the pathetic world if she wanted to. She crouched, rushing to them and then she was hit. She had been so winded that it was hardly surprising that she was poisoned. She felt around for an antidote but found none.

"Damn mages," she cursed. She drew her bow angrily, releasing the arrow and shooting straight into the neck where it crumbled into a miserable heap. Now furious, she stood up turning to the other mage. Her arrow soared high and struck it into the neck. "And stay dead!" she shouted.

Karin freely introducing his claws and snout to the Night Clan. He wiped the blood off his face. There had been a few times the blood of the demon had landed in his mouth, he absolutely hated the taste. After all it was a demon, then again, how could anyone imagine such a taste. He shook his head changing back into a human.

"I'm Aris," the lady said as she released Deckard Cain. "Best you leave, it's not safe here." Nodding, he opened a portal and disappeared.

"Well, so Aris what brings you here?" Karin said.

"It was intriguing to see a portal wide open." She smiled weakly at him, leaning heavily on the side of the pole. Karin grinned back and tugged a townsportal from his tome. The blue circle materialized before them. Across it, lay the small tents of Rogue encampment. She staggered through, her vision dimming and her head feeling fuzzy.

"Aris!" Karin cried out, grabbing her as she fell. "Antidote!" he yelled at Merck that was just behind to get one. His wolves whined at his shock, pawing the ground.

She smelt the strong smell of rain as she aroused from her dark dreams. There was the scent of a damp fire and an aroma of chicken. Her stomach felt empty but not hungry. Actually she felt empty, ever since she left them. She turned to her right staring blankly at her chest.

"Hey, you back from the dead." A smoothing male voice bubbled as he entered.

"That was too true to be funny," she snapped before she even realised that she was no longer with him.

"Hey- easy there. It was a joke! Don't be so uptight. Karin's out with Zerith hunting for Charsi's hammer," Merck grinned leaning at the doorway. His white hair caught the flickering firelight making him look rather fey. She pulled the blanket off standing up awkwardly.

"I need to go," she muttered to him. She pulled her armour out of the box quickly tying it in place.

"Hey- what's the hurry?" Merck asked, his words full of worry. "Hope you didn't get offended or anything like that." He folded his arms blocking the doorway.

"I just need to go, please let me pass." She said.

"To where? Karin was hoping you'd join us. Would be nice to have a female along for a change," he grabbed her by the shoulders. His pale hand tenderly stroked her brown hair. "You don't really look like an Amazon."

She flinched, hastily moving back. "West probably- Anywhere but sitting here," she replied, her voice quiet but strong with threat.

"Merck. Don't go overboard," Karin smiled softly. "You didn't have to act that way, you know."

"Haha, but how else could I delay her? Besides, it was fun teasing her," Merck offhandedly said. His skeletons chuckled at his words. He rubbed his forehead retreating back to the fire.

"I apologise for my party member's actions and words," Karin earnestly said, his warm brown eyes staring deep into her. His eyes made her feel paralysed as though he could see her intentions inside her. "The routes to West are closed. I fear we have to fight Andareial first. Would you join us?" he tilted his head forward in expression of deep thought. "Your skills would be of great use to us." She turned around, taking her armour off and replacing them into the chest that she had been given. "I take that as a yes," he grinned cheerfully. "I'm Karin the Druid, Merck is the Neomancer and Zerith is the barbarian."


	2. A sorceress' tale

Starry Night

Chapter 2

Aris nervously shifted her bow, pulling it to its full length as Zerith pushed the door opened. The acrid smell of burnt blood flooded through her nose, causing her to take a few steps back in alarm. They turned to look at her. Nodding in agreement, Zerith aggressively kicked the door. With a loud creak and a flying arrow that plunged into the shaman nearby, they announced themselves. Karin made a face upon seeing the burning corpses of rogues. "Aris! Try to take out as many of Andariel's minions," Karin commanded, yanking his sword out of the fallen.

"I hate Rat men," She muttered in response. She tugged her arrow out of the Rat's man head, her blood trickling down her arm from the wounds the rat man had inflicted on her. A malicious laughter rang throughout the dungeon. The four heroes froze in their actions, slowly turning their head to the cackling.

Karin rolled away hastily, the poison attacks hitting where he used to be standing. Quickly, Zerith and Merck ducked behind the bone wall that he had cast. Aris stared unwaveringly at Andariel, her bow draw. Between her teeth she held another two arrows with the obvious intent of taking all Andariel's attacks. With her steadfast accuracy, her arrows once again found their target though not the precise the spot that Aris had been aiming for. Andariel chuckled making big steps towards Aris. With the heat off Karin and the rest, they emerged worried for the welfare for Aris. Already they had noted the much very long spikes and claws Andariel sported. Andariel cackled, the minions crowding around the remaining heroes.

/This wasn't part of the plan!/ Karin's thought flying off the handle as he battered the mindless minions of Andariel.

Zerith had made several futile attempts of leaping out and to beside Andariel. Now with no other way, Aris had to content with only her own help and no one's help. She gritted her teeth, taking big gasps of air. Her legs thrashed beneath her trying to find a foothold as Andariel's claws held her in the air. She could smell rancid stench of Andariel's breath as she smirked at her. Her finger desperately tried to grasp an arrow or even dagger that she had stocked up numerous times before her mind registered the fact that she was all out. Her mind shrieked in refusal to believe that she was not only helpless, she was weaponless. She was dying, she felt its chilling message in her bones. She was going to die here in the pungent dungeon with apologizing for all the troubles she caused to them, to all the Amazons. Her mind now only played the only active message.

"I refuse to die here!" she screamed finding a strange breath to do so. A large bolt of lightning plunged into Andariel's grotesque body, running through it for many minutes before dissipating. Aris coughed hard on the cold floor of the dungeon. She found it hard to breathe.

The rumbling gave way to the falling rocks. Her body felt so tired. "Aris!" Merck called out, he grabbed her and brought her to the safety of his bone wall. There Karin and Zerith watched her anxiously. Her mana was recovering quickly, but she hesitated to appear fine. She knew they had many questions, yet she felt uncomfortable to answer them. So much had happened; perhaps Laryel was right, it was time for her to move on. She smiled at them, leaning against the bone wall.

"That was lightning wasn't it?" Merck questioned curiously. "Are Amazons able to do that?"

She smiled slightly, pain clearly showing in her eyes. "Maybe it is better for us to return to camp before I'll answer your questions," her voice soft but clear that she wasn't going to take 'No' for an answer. They stood up reluctantly, picking up the fallen items and skirting their way to the portal that awaited them.

It was dawn, the sun peeking just above the few remaining trees. Aris pulled her bejeweled staff and turned to them. "I am- a sorceress in actual fact." There was an awkward silence as they slowly absorbed this. Karin's mouth twitched involuntarily. His mind was full of questions, full of the whys and hows. "My parents were Amazons," she paused trailing her finger down the seasoned wood. "Or so I thought they were. Some many months back, they told me that they had found me in the desert. That was when I started to be able to create ice and lightning by myself did they told me."

Zerith stood up aburptly, pushing past the flap back to the fire where the Rogues were celebrating. It was a terrible way to end something that was so delightful in killing. Karin frowned saying nothing. However, Merck shocked her. He stood up beaming at her. "In any case, I welcome you to our team," he told her in his deep voice. "It seems that our leader is unable to express his questions with us around, so I'll leave you. Take light of Zerith's actions, he meant nothing." He left with a wave and a slight bow.

She sighed resigning to her fate. Her green eyes glanced at Karin's pained expressions. "I will answer them," she said.

"Tell me your story," he finally replied.

"Mother knew that Amazons did not really welcome people with magic. They did not shun them but were simply uncomfortable. It started to keep my growing powers under wraps. They say that sorceress can do magic such magic for they were trained to, however it was not the same for me. I had difficulty picking Amazon skills apart from the accurate shooting," she quickly said silencing his attempts of disagreement. "I knew Father was not happy with my growing powers. So under the cover of a moonless night, I picked a bow and some arrows from my father's weapons and slipped away. And so here I am."

Karin stared serenely at her before standing up. "I know there is more than what you've said. Maybe one day you'll tell me everything." He walked out and back to where Merck was starting a brawling dance.

Aris sighed fiddling the staff in her hands. His eyes not only seemed to be able to pierce through her thoughts, he knew that there was more to it. Nevertheless, there was an pain in his eyes that told her that he too had a story he possibly will share with her.

**Author's Note**

Thanx for the review. Really cheered me up. I'm sorry that this too kinda long.. : I was studying (and still is) for my major exams.. haha.. I'll be done by 27 nov, I'll post up quickly then ok? Sorry!!


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